MP35N Plug Helps Oil and Gas Sector Expand Its Horizons

Finding the right expansion plug, particularly for applications that require extreme corrosion resistance or protection from other harsh operating conditions, is never easy. For this reason, our team of expert engineers here at The Lee Company has brought to market a new solution aimed specifically at those of you designing down-hole or subsea equipment.

When a product for these applications requires cross-drilled holes, or when a housing made by additive manufacturing needs access points for sub-components, expansion plugs continue to be the simplest, most successful way of providing a critical seal. Upon installation of the pin, controlled expansion causes the lands and grooves of the plug to ‘bite’ into the surrounding material, forming independent seals and retaining rings. The result is a trouble-free, leak-proof seal for both liquids and gases.

But what about when environmental conditions go beyond the norm, such as those prevalent in the oil and gas and subsea industries? Salt water, extreme temperatures, high pressures; all these place extra demands on expansion plugs. To help you design vital equipment that better combats these conditions, we’re extending our extensive and highly popular Lee Plug^® line with the introduction of configurations constructed entirely from MP35N, an advanced nickel-cobalt alloy.

MP35N offers a unique combination of properties that include ultra-high strength, toughness, ductility and outstanding corrosion resistance in salt water. This latter characteristic is particularly important in sectors like oil and gas.

Compliant with NACE MRO175/ISO15156 specifications, the new MP35N Lee Plug^® not only protects against corrosion, but delivers exceptional performance when sealing cross-drilled holes in down-hole or subsea equipment. Among the harsh-duty products set to benefit are directional drills, wireline tools, logging tools, packers, toe sleeves and control pods, to list but a few.

Importantly, our easy-to-install MP35N Lee Plug^® will resist pressure up to 30,000 psi (2068 bar) and carries a 400°F (204°C) temperature rating, ensuring no job is too tough. The alloy is particularly notable for its resistance to crevice cracking in seawater.

We’ve made the MP35N Lee Plug^® available in six standard plug diameters – 0.093″, 0.125″, 0.156″, 0.187″, 0.218″ and 0.250″ – with custom sizes available upon request.

To discover more about our MP35N Lee Plug^® and how it can benefit your down-hole or subsea equipment project, please get in touch.